11 



(oy 



CIS" 



a^ 



READ BEFORE THE MAINE POMOLOGICAL CONVENTION, 
HELD AT GARDINER, MARCH & 9. 1881. 



REVISED AND EXLAKGED rOK I'LBLICATIOX. 




BY MRS. M. D. •WELLCOME 



Author of " Talks cbout Fir 




PUBLISHED BY I. C. WELLCOME, 
VARAIOITTH, ME. 



PRICE 13 CENTS. 




w 



cb^ 



w 



HISTORICALLY AND DESCRIPMLI CONSIDERED. 



CLASSIFICATION OF ROSES. WHAT ROSES TO PLANT. MODE OF 

CULTURE. LIST OF BEST HYBRIDS. LIST OF BEST 

EVER-BLOOMING. 



BY MRS, M. D. WELLCOME, 

AUTIIOR OF "TALKS ABOUT FLOWERS.' 
YARMOUTH, ME. 



PUBLISHED BY 

I. C. WELLCOME, 
YARMOUTH, ME. 



g^nl 




COPYKIGHTED 1881 T.V I. C. WKI-LCOME. 



PailNTED BV ]',. THURSTON & CO., P011TI>AND, ME. 






Says Montaigne : " I have here made a nosegay of culled flowers, 
and have brought nothing of my own but the string that binds them." 
So with me, I have brought you a bouquet of Roses, and 'there is 
little of my own but the string that binds them. 

ROSES. 

Their origin dates back to the first garden ever made in 
this world. The Lord God made it and planted it, not 
only with that which was " good for food," but also with 
what was " pleasant to the sight." Then he placed a man 
and a woman in it to take care of it. The man's work 
no doubt, was to take care of the fruit trees and the vege- 
tables, the woman's work, to cultivate the beautiful flowers, 
Eve had no weeds to pull, and when she plucked a Rose, 
there were no thorns to pierce her fair hands ; for do we 
not read that thorns and thistles are the result of the curse 
pronounced after man had sinned ? 

We find only two references in the Bible to the Rose ; 
one in Solomon's Song, where Christ is called the Rose of 
Sharon, and the other, a prophetic utterance of Isaiah 
" The desert shall blossom as the Rose." 

Among the ancient Romans, Roses were held in very 



4 ESSAY ON ROSES. 

high estimation, and were cultivated in great abundance. 
When Cleopatra went to Gilicia to meet Mark Antony, 
she caused the floor of the hall to be covered with Roses 
to the depth of eighteen inches. 

Roses have garlanded the statues of the gods, decorated 
the festive hall, wreathed the brow of the bride, and shed 
their fragrance around the casket and o'er the grave of 
loved ones. They have also been the insignia of rival 
chiefs. The Duke of York in 1452, adopted the White 
Rose, while the Duke of Lancaster had a Red Rose em- 
blazoned on his shield ; and the Rose striped with red and 
white is even now called the York and Lancaster Rose. 

Poets from early times have sung its praises : 

" Old JIOMER praised its form of grace, 

Catallos boasted of its charms, 
Horace its richly tinted face; 

In fair Italia's glowing words 
Tasso and Metastasio sang ; 

And 'mong the groves of far Cathay, 
The Persian Hafis' accents rang." 

We have the following beautiful 

LEGEND OF THE ROSE. 

Flora, the queen of flowers, had a favorite nymph, 
whose purity of heart surpassed her beauty. When she 
died, Flora resolved to change this daughter of the dryads 
into a plant which should reign over all others. She 
called to her aid Venus, the Graces, Apollo, Bacchus and 
Pomona. The result of their combined efforts was the 
queen of flowers^ the Rose. Still it was odorless. But 
one day Cupid, while dancing in Olympus, overthrew with 
his wing a cup of nectar. The precious liquid fell on the 
Rose, and gave it its perfume. 



ESSAY ON ROSES. 



5 



Florists have classified the varieties of Rose by refer- 
ence to their origin, but while able to do this to a great 
extent, there have been so many crossings of species as to 
render it impossible always to do this with precision. One 
of the results of crossing the European kinds with the 
China Roses, has been the production of a class called 




HYBRID PERPETUALS. 

These are hardy, profuse in bloom, and the flowers are 
very large and beautiful. The term perpetual^ however, is 
a misnomer, for they bloom only at intervals from June to 
November, many only in July and August, while compara- 
tively few arc autumnal. 

Of the Hybrid Perpetuals, there are several hundred ^ 



6 ESSAY ON ROSES. 

varieties, and fifty or more are annually added to the list 
with high-sounding names, glowing descriptions, and high 
prices attached. Some of them are of real value, others 
are nearly duplicates of older sorts, while many are almost 
worthless. 

There are already "too many Roses," as the President 
of the Horticultural Society at Wittstock says, and his 
proposition to reduce the four or five thousand different 
variedes at present grown in the gardens, to a limited 
number of real valuable ones only, the names of which 
shall be published, is an admirable one. Mr. H. B. EU- 
warger of Rochester, N. Y., who has made the Rose a 
speciality and a study for years, had already made a move 
in this direction, as is shown in his admirable paper on 
Hybrid Perpetuals, read before the N. Y. Horticultural 
Society, 1879, in reply to the question, " What are the best 
hardy Roses for general cultivation 1 " 

He first gives those points which constitute a perfect 
Rose. ist. Beauty of color. 2d. Beauty of form. 3d. 
Fragrance. 4th. Profusion and continuity of bloom. 5th. 
Vigor and healthfulness of growth. He gives a tabulation 
of those five qualities, assigning the following number of 
points to each : Color, 24; form, 22 ; fragrance, 20 ; free- 
dom of bloom, 18 ; vigor and healthfulness of growth, 16 ; 
making a total of 100 points for each Rose. It is seen by 
the table that no Rose is perfect in all of the specified 
qualities, the choicest sorts excelling on some points, fall 
short on others. Of the 24 Roses selected from hundreds 
as possessing the best characteristics for general culture, 
we will give their names in due place. 

HYBRID NOISETTE ROSES. 
This is comparatively a new group which have been 



ESSAY ON ROSES. 7 

usually classed with the Hybrid Perpetuals in order to 
avoid a multiplicity of groups. So many new varieties 
have been introduced, they are, in some Rose catalogues, 
now classed by themselves. They usually flower in clus- 
ters, and bloom very freely throughout the year ; the 
flowers are not large, but generally well formed, and are 
for the most part white. These Roses must not be con- 
founded with the Noisette or Champney Roses, which are 
not Hybrids, and only half-hardy. Of these an American 
correspondent of the Belgian Horticultural Review thus 
writes to the editor an account of their origin, which is 
thus translated : 

" The Noisette Rose is a daughter of America. She 
was born one day in the garden of a brave citizen of 
Charleston, S. C, Mr. John Champney. It was obtained 
by fertilizing a Musk Rose, Rosa Moschata, by pollen 
from the China or Bengal Rose. Botanists called the new 
creation Rosa Moschata Hybrida, and Rosa Champney- 
ana indifferently. But after a while the name was super- 
seded by that of Rosa Noisettiana in this way : At 
Charleston there lived a gardener named Philip Noisette, 
who was of French origin. This man fertilized one of 
Cham'pney's Hybrids, Champney's Pink Cluster, and get- 
ting from it another variety, sent it in 1814, to Louis 
Freres of Paris. The Rose became . rapidly famous, and 
the name of Noisette replaced the first name of Champ- 
ney, for the new race. It is as just, as it was when Amer- 
icus Vespucius was given the honors due to Christopher 
Columbus in the naming of the great continent. The 
flowers of the Noisette are highly fragrant, they are nu- 
merous, double, and charm by the variety and delicacy of 
their colors. 



8 ESSAY ON ROSES. 

The following varieties, esteemed in America, are worthy 
the attention of Europeans : Beauty of Green Mount, 
Isabella Gray, Dr. Kane, America, Woodland Margaret, 
Cinderella, Russulda. The Noisette has one defect ; the 
flower fades rapidly, but then, what would we have if we 
had a choice ? 

These, by hybridization with the Teas, have lost much 
of their originality ; they are less hardy, are not so cluster- 
ing, but the flowers have more substance, and are far more 
beautiful. They are specially valuable as Climbing or 
Pillar Roses in sheltered situations, and particularly under 
glass. Of these are the well known and highly prized La- 
marque, Cloth of Gold, and Marechal Niel. 

HYBRID CHINA ROSES. 
This class has been produced by various crosses of- the 
summer Rose upon the Teas, Noisettes and Bourbons. 
They are hardy and have a glossy, luxuriant foliage. They 
are vigorous and rapid growers with long, flexible shoots, 
and are well adapted for Pillar Roses. 

HYBRID CLIMBING ROSES. 

This list is somewhat small, but embraces some very 
fine varieties, among them Fortune's Double Yellow, a 
Chinese variety introduced by Mr. Fortune in 1845. The 
Red Dragon is of recent introduction. One who saw it in. 
W. Paul's collection at Regent Park, England, thus writes 
of it in a letter to Mr. Meehan, editor of the Gardener's 
Monthly : 

" Of all the handsome varieties which were so well rep- 
resented, the one that specially attracted my attention was 
the new climbing, hybrid perpetual Red Dragon. This 
fine variety originated among some seedlings in Messrs 



ESSAY ON ROSES. 9 

Pauls' nurseries at Waltham Cross in 1875, ^^d was ad 
mirably figured in the Rose Annuals for 1878-79. The 
flowers are of great substance, cupped, and of an intensely 
rich crimson color in a young state, becoming tinged with 
purple as they advance. The plant is extremely vigorous, 
with handsome foliage, and its habit renders it well adapt- 
ed for training to pillars and similar positions." 

HYBRID TEA ROSES. 

These, ten in number, originated with Mr. Henry Ben 
net, of Mapleford, England, who has been experimenting 
on the Rose for fifteen years, trying to obtain some suc- 
cessful manner of artificial fertilization. After several 
years of failure, he visited in 1870 the Rose Nurseries of 
Lyons, which may truly be said to be the home of the 
Rose, but failed to detect any scientific means of raising 
Roses by an artificial process. Finding that the old meth- 
ods were a failure, he cut loose from them all and tried an 
entirely new mode of culture, finding as he had anticipat- 
ed, good seed could be produced. He says : " I met with 
many difficulties, but at last I succeeded in seedling from 
every Rose I tried, and did not fail in any variety I crossed, 
no matter how widely the sorts were separated. The Teas 
crossed freely with the Hybrid Perpetuals, and vice versa ; 
the Mosses crossed freely with each kind. 

" For my main experiment, I took my favorite Teas, 
' Alba Rosea,' and ' President,' as seed-bearing plants, 
and from these I have selected the varieties I am now of- 
fering, excepting one, and it will be found that they pos- 
sess greater perpetuity in blooming, greater depth of petal, 
and are altogether different in type to any Roses before 
seen. ... I lay claim to the first real crimson Tea, the 
Duke of Connaught. 



10 ESSAY ON ROSES. 

" I can guarantee the parentage of each variety. They 
are all real perpetuals (not in the same way as the com- 
mon perpetuals, that give a lot of bloom in the first part of 
summer, and then only a few medium blooms now and 
then afterward), giving a regular and constant succession 
of flowers till the frost sets in. Not one of them has yet 
thrown a shoot that has not flowered; they have never 
been attacked with mildew or red rust, and resisted thirty 
degrees of frost last winter in a very open situation, with- 
out the slightest injury. 

" The color of each variety is quite novel, unusually clear 
and bright ; the blooms have great substance, and remain 
a long time without fading, and are grand exhibition flow- 
ers. I cannot help thinking this discovery will cause quite 
a revolution in Rose culture, and make us independent of 
the French raisers, who have for years beeji inundating us 
with so many very bad Roses, to the disgust of nearly every 
cultivator." 

An appreciative horticulturist who has seen these new 
varieties, says : " For pot culture, either for home decora- 
tion or for market, these Roses will be invaluable. They 
are elegant in habit, hardy in constitution, most of them 
deliciously scented, perpetual and abundant bloomers." 

In speaking of representing them by paintings, he says : 
" Some of the colors and shadings are so exquisite and 
unique, that it must be an impossibility to transfer them to 
paper." 

The year 1879 will be memorable in the history of 
Roses as the one from which this new class is dated. 

Having considered the various classes of Hybrids, we 
will now briefly glance at a few which are not Hybrids. 
Of these the 



ESSAY ON ROSES. 



II 




TEA ROSES 
Decidedly take the lead among the ever blooming. They 
are so lovely in color, and so delicious in fragrance. How 
varied their tints! Their buds, how exquisite in forrri! 
These are the tender Roses, and need more care than any 
of the other classes. 

BOURBON ROSES. 
These are not quite hardy, but a slight protection is 
sufficient. They are ever-bloomers, their growth is rapid, 
and their foliage rich and luxuriant. They are the most 
beautiful in the autumn. The flowers are usually produc- 
ed in clusters, are of a light color and fragrant. The lat- 
est novelties of this class are Queen of Bedders, sent out 
in 1877, color, crimson; Madame Pierre Oger of 1S78, 



12 



ESSAY ON ROSES. 



" creamy white, the exterior petals marbled with soft rosy 
lilac." 

CLIMBING ROSES. 
Of these the Prairie Roses are the most commonly 
grown. Baltimore Belle, pale blush, very double, Prairie 
Queen, bright pink, and Greville, or Seven Sisters, are 
popular varieties. The Ayrshire and ^anksia climbers are 
of a more slender growth and the flowers are of small size 




MOSS ROSES. 
Their origin is not known. A few facts only have we 



ESSAY ON ROSES. 1 3 

been enabled to glean, and for these we are indebted to the 
jfounial of Horticiclture. Prior to 1724, no reference can 
be found to the Moss Rose, but Dr. Martin in his edition 
of Miller's Gardener's Dictionary, says it is in Furber's 
catalogue of 1724. Faulkner in his " History of Fulham," 
says that Mr. Rench was the first to introduce the Moss 
Rose into England, the original plant of which is supposed 
to have been brought from Holland. Rench lived at 
South Field Farm, near Parson's Green, a farm possessed 
by his ancestors for two hundred years. He was 
buried in Fulham church-yard, and the inscription to his 
memory reads thus : " Under this stone are deposited the 
remains of Nathaniel Rench, late of this parish, gardener, 
who departed this life Jan. iSth, 1783, aged loi years. 

The Moss Rose was first illustrated in the Botanical 
Magazine, and is described as the Rosa miiscosa^ or Moss 
Rose, and the Plate is dated December, 17S8. It is also 
stated that though Miller thought it a distinct species, 
Linnaeus considered it only a variety of Rosa centifolia. 
" The Legend of the Moss Rose " tells us of its origin. 
The angel, whose sweet duty it is to wait upon the flowers, 
said one day to the Rose : 

" ' What shall I give to thee, fair child ? 



Queen among flowers, already, thou, 

My crown, my joy, my pride : ' 
Perplexed he looked upon the Rose, 

Blushing so fair and sweet, 
Then plucked the fine and verdant Moss, 

That grew about her feet. 
Deftly around each opening bud, 

A filmy veil did fold ; 
And, loveliest of the lovely, now, 

The Moss Rose we behold." 



14 ESSAY ON ROSES. 

There are lovely Moss Roses for the house, and hardy 
ones for the border. The Perpetuals are the most valua- 
ble, but of these there are few varieties, and being very 
difficult to propagate, they are quite scarce, and necessa- 
rily high-priced. Of the latest and best are James Veitch 
and White Moss. The first, " A magnificent Perpetual 
Moss Rose ; extra large ; very double and exceedingly 
sweet, but very mossy ; color, bright rosy crimson, chang- 
ing to deep carnation red ; commences to bloom almost as 
soon as planted, and continues throughout the season. 
Entirely hardy." 

Perpetual White Moss. " The finest grown ; an elegant 
flower ; large, full form, very double and deliciously fra- 
grant ; buds beautifully covered with moss \ blooms in 
large clusters j pure snowy white ; a constant and profuse 
bloomer. Very valuable for cemeteries." 

Florists diEer very essentially in prices, so that if one 
compares them, they can frequently make quite a saving. 
Before me are two 1881 catalogues. Both represent large 
and reliable firms. One has James Veitch priced at 50 
to 75 cents ; the other one price, $1.50. 

CHINA ROSES. 

Are of dwarf habit. They bloom all the' season in the 
open ground. Very fine for the window garden ; not 
fragrant. 

HOW SHALL WE PLANT ROSES? 

We will give you three methods : 

1 In the ground, after it has been prepared by spad- 
ing the soil to the depth of a foot or more, pulverizing and 
enriching with well rotted dressing. Set the plants well 
in the ground, and firm the earth compactly down on the 



ESSAY ON ROSES. 1 5 

roots. That this firming of the soil is very essential, will 
be apparent from the following incident related by Mr. 
Henderson, an experienced florist. 

" About a month ago," says Mr. H., " I sent a package 
of Roses by mail to a lady in Savannah. She wrote me a 
woeful story l^st week, saying, that though the Roses had 
arrived seemingly right, they had all died but one, and 
what was very singular, the one that lived was the one Mr. 
Jones had stepped on, and which she thought crushed to 
death, for Mr. Jones weighed 200 pounds ! " Mr. Hen- 
derson does not advise any gentleman of 200 pounds' 
weight to put his brogan on the top of a tender Rose 
plant, as conducive to ^ts health, but he thinks if Mrs. 
Jones had allowed her weight to press the soil against the 
root of each of her dozen Roses, the probability is, that 
she might have saved them all. This suggestion of Mr. 
Henderson is worthy of consideration by all. It is ap- 
plicable to the setting out of fruit trees, bushes, plants and 
seed-sowing. Mr. H. says that he did not himself realize 
fully the importance of firming the soil with the feet in the 
operation of seed-sowing and planting, until a few years ago. 

" Particularly in the sowing of seeds," he adds, " I con- 
sider the matter of such vast importance, that it cannot be 
too often or too strongly told, for the loss to the agricul- 
tural and horticultural community by the neglect of the 
simple operation of firming the soil around seed, must 
amount to many millions annually." 

2 In bedding out Tea Roses, they can be first set 
in small unglazed pots. A bit of crock over the hole 
to keep the roots from going astray, then fill with 
rich mellow soil. Do not forget to plant firmly in the 
pot, which you can then plunge in the garden bed, just 



1 6 ESSAY ON ROSES. 

deep enough to have the soil well cover the pots, so that 
they are not seen. Plants thus treated require water 
more frequently than those set directly in the ground. 
Still care must be had not to keep them too wet, as it 
weakens the feeding roots, and results in decay. It is of 
course essential before bedding out plants 'received from 
the florists, that they be kept from the sun several days, 
in order that they may first become established in their 
new quarters, or, if plunged directly in the soil without 
potting, that they be protected by a covering. 

As to the best of the two methods we cannot determine. 
We have adopted both with our tender Roses, and during 
our seven years of experience •cannot determine as to 
which of them is really the best, as respects their healthy 
growth and bloom. We plant most of our new plants in 
small pots, and sometimes bed out our older sorts without 
removal, as they can be so easily transferred from the 
border to a place of shelter in the autumn, when there is 
danger of frost. They can then be repotted at leisure. 
We do know that it is not essential that Roses become 
jDOt-bound in order to blossom freely, for those planted 
directly in the ground bloom just as well, and vice versa. 
In this they differ from geraniums, which are prone to run 
to roots, and in order to secure constant bloom from tiny 
plants, we find it best to bed them out in very small pots. 
We use mostly 4-inch size for all our small plants. 

3 This we have never tried, therefore will give you 
the experience of one who has, as related in the Feb- 
ruary number of the Journal of Floi'iadtiire. It dates 
back to twenty-six years ago. The lady says : 

"The first plant I ever had was a Fuchsia, quite a small 
one at that. I planted it in a big wooden pail, but O, my ! 



ESSAY ON ROSES. 1/ 

how heavy it was to carry about, but I succeeded ; such 
a Fuchsia I never saw. I was not quite happy, with only 
one plant, so I bought a Devoniensis Rose ; it was a tiny 
plant about four inches high. Well, I supposed I must 
have all outdoors brought into the house in order to make 
the little thing live, for I supposed plants were like babies 
and must be well fed, so I filled a large wash-tub with 
very rich earth. First, I pounded nail holes in the bottom 
of the wash-tub to let the water out ; it's a wonder I knew 
enough for that, but I did, and then I set my tub on two 
chairs before a south window, and then set my little Rose- 
bush in the center of the tub ; it was so small I could 
hardly see it. That Rose-bush did not die, as most Roses 
would have done, but behaved nicely, and grew like a 
bean-stalk, so rapidly ! Every warm rainy day my tub had 
to be carried out. It took two men, and was not done 
without a little grumbling, but I never minded that, only 
I would say, ' Don't you think it's grown lots for being 
rained on ? ' Well, that bush grew to be four feet high, and 
had at one time thirty full blown roses on it and nearly as 
many buds. The tub was then full, but such a Rose-bush 
is only to be had once in a.lifetime." 

We read this story to a lady the other evening, when 
she laughingly said : " I had just such an experience with 
my first plant. It was a wee slip of Rose geranium, and 
I filled a large butter firkin with earth, and planted it in 
the center. Such hard work as it was to remove it from 
place to place to give it sunlight, it almost broke my back ! " 

This 3d method of planting you will probably not adopt. 
It would be inexcusable in these enlightened days ! 

Our specified limits will not admit of the notes we had 
taken relating to a few Roses worthy of special mention, 



1 8 ESSAY ON ROSES. 

but we will avail ourself of the liberty of extension gener- 
ously given, that we may say something about 

THE MARECHAL NIEL ROSE, 

Which has long stood at the head of its class. This 
Rose originated with Mr. Pradel of Mantauban, France, 
in 1864, and first flowered in this country the summer of 
1866. It is a very large and full globular Rose, highly 
scented ; color, a deep yellow. It is a magnificent climb- 
er under glass. Some florists call it a shy bloomer, but 
that it flowers profusely under favorable circumstances is 
apjDarent, from the fact that Mr. Pearson, an English flo- 
rist, reports having cut from one plant in his green-house, 
2000 flowers last year. One of our own florists seeing this 
statement in the Gardener's Monthly, wrote to that Maga- 
zine the following statement : 

" I have a Marechal Niel Rose growing in a green-house 
where I raise my bedding plants. It is 45 feet long, and 
the roof is wired the same as for a grapery, and the Mar- 
echal Niel is trained on to it ; it covers the entire roof. I 
have several times cut 300 Roses from it at one time, and 
over 4000 in one year." 

Our own success has not been encouraging. Three sea- 
sons we have tried it, but no blooms have rewarded us. 
A neighbor has been more fortunate, for she has had three, 
and even one she thought would amply repay for all her 
care, they were ss large and sweet, and remaining a week 
in perfect flower. 

We will now add to the original essay a few notes of 
other beautiful Roses : 



ESSAY ON ROSES. 



19 




LA FRANCE ROSE. 

Last year in France they tried to find out by vote what 
Rose was considered the best. La France had 79 votes, 
Gen. Jacqueminot, 52, La Reine, 42, while Marie Van 
Houtte, an elegant and popular Rose in this country, only 
had 25. The editor of the Horticulturist in giving this 
item says : " These votes are like our fruit votes. The 
one which is the most extensively grown will get the most 
votes, because half the voters do not know of many other 
kinds. But it is a superb Rose." 

Mr. H. G. Hooker of Rochester, N. Y., bears a very 
strong testimony to its value. He thus writes to the Hor- 
ticulturist: " Here in Rochester the La France is province 
itself worthy of its name and fame. Nothing can excel it 
in beautiful delicate color, exquisite and abundant per- 



■ 20 . ESSAY ON ROSES. 

fume, and profuse, constant blooming, from the commence- 
ment to the close of vegetation ; just as long as growth is 
maintained, beautiful bloom will follow ; in fact the habit 
of over-flowering is its principal drawback. Unless high 
cultivation and liberal manuring are furnished, it will be 
stunted b}' excessive flowering ; but if freely manured, and 
a portion of the too numerous buds cut off in season, the 
results are admirable. At the present writing, August 
17th, my nursery plantation of one-quarter acre of La 
France Roses, where the early flowers were cut off until 
the plants were well established, and good culture given, 
is a place of beauty and fragrance beyond anything I have 
ever seen in Rose growing. Some of the blooms are five 
inches in diameter, many are four inches across, and all 
furnish shades of color, and reflections of color on the in- 
side and outside of the petals quite beyond description. 
As this Rose is hardy, at least at the root, and nearly so 
at the top, it ought perhaps to stand at the head of the 
Hardy Perpetual class, all things considered, as combining 
the largest number of good points. It requires close prun- 
ing, nearly to the ground ever)'- spring," 

Mr. Ellwanger says of La France : " The sweetest of all 
Roses ; compelled to choose one variety, this should be 
ours." A writer in the London Quarterly Review^ says : 
" No Rose, taking all the good qualities of a Rose togeth- 
er, will surpass the Gloire de Dijon, though golden cups 
of Marechal Niel may be richer in color, and the fragrance 
of La France recalls as no other Rose does, the luxurious 
fragrance of Oriental otto of Roses." 

ISABELLA SPRUNT. 
This is one of the three most popular Tea Roses raised 
specially for cut flowers. Its sale is enormous. Color, 



ESSAY ON ROSES. 21 

sulphur yellow, a sport from Safrano which it closely 
resembles, except in hue. It originated with Rev. James 
M. Sprunt d.d., of Kenansville, N. C, and he tells about 
it on this wise, in a letter to Mr. Ellwanger : 

'• In the spring of 1855, I removed from my former resi- 
dence in this town to the premises on which I now reside. 
Among the plants which I carried with me, was a very 

large and handsome Safrano Rose I pruned it 

well back, but the early summer being dry, the top died. 
The plant, however, put forth six or eight strong shoots 
from the collar at the surface of the soil, and one of these 
attracted my attention from its dissimilarity to the others 
in the color of the stem and foliage. I observed it care- 
fully until it bloomed, when it proved to be a fine yellow, 
all the other shoots retaining the normal color of the Sa- 
frano. From this sport which was named ' Isabella 
Sprunt,' from one of my daughters, I sent a cutting to Mr. 
Isaac Buchanan of New York, in i860, and it was sent 
out by him some two or three years afterward." 

About three years ago, Mr. Sprunt adds, the original 
plant developed a bud and flower, one-half of which was 
like Safrano, and the other half like Isabella Sprunt. 
He tried iojix this new sport, but failed. 

AMERICAN BANNER ROSE. 
This originated with Mr. George Cartwright of Dedham, 
Mass., 1877, and was first put in the market by Mr. Peter 
Henderson the following year. It has produced a great 
sensation, but is of no special value except as a novelty. 
The flowers are carmine, striped with white. As the stripes 
are the most distinct on the outside of the petals, the half- 
blown buds are far more attractive than the open flower. 
The "markings" are not striking, except on the outer 



22 ESSAY ON ROSES. 

petals ; the center is of a very pale pinkish white color, 
not at all beautiful. The Rose is not very full ; the leaves 
are very small and leathery. It is a sport from Bon 
Silene, which is much its superior every way. 

Cornelia Cook, a seedling from Devoniensis, has been 
much puffed for several years as the best white Tea Rose 
ever sent out, but not being a very free bloomer, and its 
buds not opening well, it has retired somewhat into the 
shade, and Niphetos, with its long, large buds, has come to 
the front, as a freer and more constant bloomer. Color, 
white, with a pale yellowish tinge sometimes. It is rare 
to find a pure white Tea ; nearly all have a flush of some 
other color. Mademoiselle Rachel is pure snow-white, very 
double, and deliciously scented ; beautiful buds, and is an 
elegant Rose for house culture or the garden bed. 

Washingto7i is another fine white. It blooms in large 
clusters, is quite hardy, and fine for a pillar Rose, but can 
be cut back if desired to have it bushy. Jules Chretien^ a 
new Hybrid Perpetual, sent out by Mr. John Saul of 
Washington, D. C, is a splendid Rose ; color, bright crim- 
son, shaded with purple. A vigorous grower, and free 
bloomer. 

Presuming that no one who cultures the Hybrid Perpet- 
uals, will object to their blooming in the autumn as well 
as summer months, we now give Mr. EUwanger's list of 

BEST AUTUMNAL HYBRID PERPETUALS. 

Light Colors. 

1 Francois Michelon. lo Countess of Oxford. 

2 Marguerite de St. Amande. ii Rev. J. B. Camm. 

3 Countess of Serenge. 12 La Reine. 

4 Abel Gand. 13 Madame Boll. 

5 Mademoiselle Theresa Levet. 14 Princess Charlotte. 

6 Baroness Rothschild. 15 Boildieu. 

7 Mile. Eugenie Verdier. 16 Baronne Provost. 

8 Paul Neyron. 17 Anna de Diesbach. 
Q Victor Verdier. 



ESSAY ON ROSES. 2$ 

Dark Colors. 

1 Alfred Colomb. 5 Maurice Bernardin. 

2 Marie Baumann. 6 .Louis Van Houtte. 

3 Horace Vernet. 7 Prince Camille de Rohan. 

4 Pierre Netting. 

THE BEST TWENTY-FOUR MONTHLY ROSES FOR 
BEDDING. 

BY H. B. ELLWANGER, ROCHESTER, N. Y. 

In selecting Roses suitable for bedding, several necessa- 
ry qualifications must be considered. When we plant 
Roses in isolated positions, we often do so having regard 
to some special qualities which by themselves would not 
make them of value for massing together. 

The requisites for a good bedding Rose are freedom of 
bloom, healthy habit of growth, good form, pure, steadfast 
color, fragrance, and sufficient fullness of flower. 

The following varieties are, in my opinion, the best for 
the purpose : 

THE BEST SIX. 

Gerard Desbois. — Bright red ; one of the hardiest Teas. 

Homer. — Mottled salmon rose. 

Jean Fernet. — A beautiful light yellow, not so well known as it should 
be. 

La France. — The founder of the new race of Hybrid Teas ; a con- 
stant bloomer, and the sweetest of them all. 

Marie Van Houtte. — Pale yellow, the edges of petals very often shad- 
ed with rose, producing a unique effect. A most charming sort. 

Mo7ts Fnrtado. — This and Jean Pernet are the most valuable pure 
yellow Teas. 

FOR THE BEST TWELVE, ADD 

Appolline (Bourbon). — Not quite so full as some of the others, but 
beautiful rosy pink flowers of good cupped shape. If kept cut 
back, it is like La France, always in bloom. 

General Tartas. — Deep mottled rose ; fine habit, good buds. 

Madame de Vatry. — Rose, with a shade of salmon. 



24 ESSAY -ON ROSES. 

Madame Lombard. — Reddish salmon, but of variable shades. Very 

fine. 
Sovibreiiil. — Creamy white ; a ^perb Rose out of doors. 
Triomphe de Luxemburg. — Coppery rose. 

FOR BEST EIGHTEEN, ADD 

Bougere. — Rosy bronze. 

Co7intess Riza du Pare. — Bronzed rose with a shade of carmine. 

La Pr'meesse Vera. — Flesh, shaded with yellow, outer petals bordered 
with coppery rose. 

Marie Ducher. — Salmon rose. 

Marie Giiillot. — Creamy white ; a lovely Rose, but unfortunately al- 
most without fragrance. 

Rubens. — Flesh, shaded with pale rose. 

FOR BEST TWENTY-FOUR, ADD 

Catherifie Mermet. — Silvery pink ; the most beautiful of all the Teas. 

Comte de Sembui. — Salmon and rose, base of petals coppery yellow. 

Hermosa [V>QMx\iOXi). — This well-known sort is constantly in flower 
but is not equal in quality to others named. 

yeaii Ducher. — Bronzed rose. 

Perle des Jardins. — A beautiful straw color. 

Queen of Bedders (Bourbon). — This is another variety constantly in 
flower, but it is of rather poor growth. Color, a deep crimson, 
somewhat the shade of Charles Lefebvre. 

Beside the varieties named, there are some which will 
be found very useful for their beautiful buds, if planted in 
a position where they are not constantly expo.sed to the 
sun's rays. Such are Agrippina, Bon Silene, Douglass, 
Isabella Sprunt, Safrano, Souvenir d'un Ami. In a very 
sunny spot, all of these varieties open their buds very 
quickly, and would not then be desirable. — Gardener's 
ATonthly. 

NOTE. — We cordially commend to the patronage of our readers 
Mr. C. E. Allen, whom we know to be a reliable florist, who will fill 
your orders satisfactorially, and at prices below that of many rose 
growers. M. D. W. 



oopv OF CONGRESS 

Mil \\ IvM « »»'"" o 

____ PV\V^^ 9.^ 064 2 

The Latest Novelt .. .^i noses! 

NEW HYBRID TEAS. 

This new class of Roses combines hardiness, constant bloom, and dflicafe 
colnrin;!. Tliey originated in England in 1870, and are now offered for tlie 
first tiiiie in tliis country. For full descriiition of these Roses, with prices, 
see catalogue. 

NEW PERPETUAL. MOSS ROSES. 

The finest ever offered in this country. James Veitch, a magnificent 
perpetual, very large, double, and sweet; bud very mossy ; constant bloom- 
er. Price 50 to 75 cents. Perpetual White ]\toss. The finest perpet- 
ual White grown, very double and fragrant. Price, 50 to 75 cents. 

ROSES! ROSES! ROSES! 

Our collection is very large of the various classes usually grown, and we 
send out to every part of the United States or Canada free of postage, 
strong i)ot-grown plants of ever-blooming Roses, that will give abundance 
of bloom during the summer. AVe have the latest and most desirable novel- 
ties of the Hybrid I'ei-petuals, Teas, Noisette, Bourbon, and China Roses. 
Six best Teas "for .^1 .00, labeled, purchaser's choice. 

ROSES FOR THE MILLION! 

12 Everblooming Rose*, 12 vai-ieties .?1 .00 

12 Hardy Perpetual Rose.-;, 12 varieties l.i 

12 Climbing Rose.-i, 8 varieties 1.00 

5 Moss Roses, 3 varieties 1.00 

COLLECTIONS FOR BEDDING OUT. 

For convenience of those unable to select best bedding varieties, I offer 
below a list selected with my best judgment, only the most distinct and 
free-blooming sorts among our best old and new vai'ieties, and the pur- 
chaser is sure to be pleased with the result. Large, strong plants, ready 
for immediate bloom, by mail or express. 

Six IJest Sorts 



Six Best Sorts 

Carnations §1 .00 

Coleus 75 

Dahlias 1.00 

Fuchsias 1.00 

Cladioli 50 

Heliotropes 75 

Summer Blooming Bulbs 1 00 

Geraniums, Single 1.00 

" Double 1.00 

" Golden Bronze 1.00 



Geraniums, Silver and (i olden 

Tri-color §1 .00 

" Ivy Leaf I.OO 

" Sweet scented l.no 

Pansies 40 

Petunia, Double I.OO 

Pelargoniums ] .00 

Roses, Ever-blooming 1.00 

Verbenas 40 

Lantanas 1.00 



I offer a large collection of over fifteen hundred varieties of Flower and 
Vegetable Seed, Plants, &c. Catalogue, describinj;' many new and rare 
plants, beatitifuUy illustrated, about eighty pages, mailed free. Address, 

C. E. ALLEIT, Brattletoro, Vt. 



